This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Windstar. While driving at approximately 40 mph, there was an abnormal noise and vibrations coming from the rear driver side of the vehicle. The contact observed that the rear driver side wheel turned inwards and the check engine warning indicator illuminated continuously. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Was taking kids to school rear end started to wiggle over bump & left rear tire went into body. Found where Ford did re-call snapped under their clamps.
My wife was taking my youngest two children to school in our vehicle when smoke started pouring in through the vents of the vehicle and at the same time she lost control of the steering sliding off onto the shoulder of the road. Once my wife made sure everyone was out of the smoke filled vehicle she noticed the tire was completely shredded on the passenger front side of the vehicle. She notified me and we had the van towed to a mechanics shop where we found out that the front passenger spring had busted causing the tire to be shredded. The mechanic advised buying two new tires for the front of vehicle, he also advised buying two new springs and replacing both of them on the front. The van was fixed and we paid for the bill and tire cost out of our own pocket. The manufacturer of the vehicle informed me today that they will not compensate for any of these costs even when a recall letter 01S19/01M03 states "we will install protective shields around the front coil springs of your vehicle. These shields will prevent the possibility of tire puncture should the spring fracture. ---- motor company will also pay for any repairs directly relating to the front coil springs of your vehicle free of charge ( parts and labor) so to me this is a failure of the respected company from full filling what I see in my eyes as a obligation to the consumer. I also feel the recall should have been to replace the springs..not install shields which I am sure was a much cheaper route.I have all receipts that concern this matter. Thanks!
While driving my mini van the right rear wheel (the complete wheel) fell off! upon safely parking the van, I came to realize the entire rear axel had sheared in half! by a stroke of luck I found out there was a recall for this and also for the cruise control. I am having it replaced/fixed at dealers cost. Since this vehicle was bought used off a used dealers lot, I would like to make the following suggestion...there should be some type of mandatory law that all dealers, new and used, should have access to this website and be legally forced to check each and every vehicle prior to being sold.
I was driving on the interstate and my tire came off of my car. All of the lugs to my driver side front wheel broke. I called a mechanical shop that owns their own wrecker. They repaired the wheel, which included rotor, lug work. My vehicle was also damaged in the body. The fender, the door, the parts all around the area where the tire flung off. I have discovered on the internet that there exists a recall on vehicles the same year make and model as my vehicle.
- Gadsden, AL, USA
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In the past four years we have had the wheel bolts on the right front wheel break off six times. The last time, the fix was to replace the wheel. That was done in May 2003 and no problem since with that wheel but its only been two months. Now in July 2003 we have had the bolts break on the left front wheel twice! on July 22 2003, we had a new wheel and all five bolts replaced on the left front. One week later the van is again at the Ford dealership because three bolts have broken on the newly replaced left front again.
This van has all the defects and complaints listed on thegovt. Recalls the NHTSA site and others ihave too much info to put on this site if there is anyone I can send my complaint to please let me know iam putting it back into the shop again ive been thru a nightmare along with trying to assure my 4 kids that they were safe in this van thankyou angela wallace and by the wat the dealer that sold me this van will not cooperate at all
While vehicle was parked, consumer noticed a flat tire. Wheel had a crack in it that caused the tire to go flat. Contacted dealer. This is a common problem, which is caused by a defect
While the insured was traveling the right front wheel broke off and the vehicle wheel rolled backwards into wheel well causing fender damage. Claim# 43-R781-260
At the 75000 mile check up with henry curtis Ford, we asked that they check out an abnormal noise in the front left wheel. They reported that they could not hear any problem. We drove the van to Utah the next week. On the way back the noise became increasingly worse. We drove it locally for two weeks with the noise becoming worse. We called for another appointment after it sounded like something broke. We tried driving to the dealership but ended up needing a tow when the wheel broke. About six weeks later the right front tire began to lose air. Thinking that we had picked up a nail we went to the tire shop to get the tire repaired. The shop discovered that the wheel was leaking air at the welds. After calling around to find a new wheel they came and told us that wheels were hard to find because so many were leaking and breaking at the welds. Quite frankly I am afraid to let my wife put herself and our children at risk of the wheels breaking while she is going somewhere. I went to the dealer to see what they knew about this and they said they knew nothing. I asked who the manufacturer of the wheels is and they were not able to give me that information. I am under the impression that this is the only wheel for that car. I am concerned for the safety of other families who might be traveling in a van that they feel is safe when the dealer can't even find the problem and sends them off to their destination with a false idea of safety. I shudder to think what would happen to a family traveling at 75 mph down a mountain pass in Nevada and a wheel breaks. Have you had other reports of this nature?
Repeated incidents of unusual tire wear; this vehicle now has 21,900 miles on it and it is on literally its third set of tires. The tires keep cupping and causing the van to become misaligned; caribou Ford has had this vehicle in its shop in excess of 10 times for this and other related problems. The shift cable then broke (thankfully) when I was stopped in a parking lot, and the vehicle was in park. I don't know what I would have done if I'd been on the highway or elsewhere, moving. Please let me know if you have had any similar complaint concerning the tire wear/misalignment problem. The vehicle vibrates significantly at highway speeds and lower as a result of this problem, which I do consider a safety problem. You can literally see the steering wheel shake. I appreciate your investigating this problem. Thank you for your time.( dot number: Tire size: P215/7 )
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Plainfield, NJ, USA